Water-saving system.



- J. G. MACDONALD & W. F. G. MAOKAY.

WATER SAVING SYSTEM.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 22, 1912.

1,073,862. atented Sept. 23, 1913.

CONDENSER my a *3 UNTTED STATES PATENT lFliillClEl;

JAMES G. MACDONALD AND WILLIAM F. G. MACKAY, 0F BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

WATER-SAVING SYSTEM.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that we, J AMES G. MACDON- ALD and WILLIAM 1*. G. MAcKAY, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Itiiassachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in ater-Saving Systems, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the conservation of water, especially in large buildings such as hotels which utilize water in many ways such as for the condenser of an ice making plant, elevators, and beer pumps. The elevators referred to are more particularly of the type which utilizes the city pressure for acting directly upon the elevator plunger. Such apparatus usually discharges waste water into the sewer. As the water from such apparatus is not usually contaminated in any way such as would prevent its use for other purposes such as for bathing, to discharge such water into the sewer results in pure waste.

The object of the present invention is to provide a system which will enable the waste water from such apparatus as mentioned to be utilized in place of water coming directly from the supply mains, thereby effecting a large saving in expense especially where the cost of water is determined by a meter service.

To these ends our invention consists in employing in connection with a water service pipe having a meter, a receptacle for t e outliow from apparatus of various 'iiu'a which employ water, and a pump for forcing the water from said receptacle back into the system pipes, means being provided for preventing the water from being pumped back into the service pipe.

By the term hydraulic apparatus, hereinafter employed, we mean to include any device, appliance, or machine which employs water and from which the waste water would ordinarily be discharged into a sewer. If it be desired to re-utilize water which has become contaminated more or less in its utilizing apparatus, a suitable filter may be employed.

The accompanying drawing is a diagrammatic representation of the entire system constructed to re-utilize the waste water from an ice machine condenser, elevators and beer pumps. Since the details of the system such as the check valves, meters,

Specification of Letters Patent.

Application filed May 22, 1912.

Patented Sept. 23,1913.

Serial No. 699,060.

controlling valves or regulators may be of any well known or preferred construction, we do not attempt to illustrate the specific structure of any of such mentioned parts.

In the basement of the building, or at any point low enough to receive by gravity the discharge water from the various apparatus, we employ a tank or receptacle 1, of considerable capacity. Steam pipes 2, cold water pipes 3, hot water pipes 41, and circulating piping 5, are represented in the diagram as of rectangular arrangement but it is to be understood that all such piping may be arranged in whatever may be the most convenient form to connect the various other elements of the system. The piping 5 is for the usual purpose for insuring a slow circulation of hot water throughout the building for such purposes as to enable hot water to be drawn immediately from any faucet intended to supply such.

At 6, 7 and 8 we indicate respectively cold water, hot water, and circulation piping leading to the various rooms such as those having bathing apparatus and from which rooms of course the vaste water will be discharged as usual into the sewer.

The supply main 9 having a city meter 10 and a check valve 11, is intended for low pressure service such as 41-.5 pounds. Another supply main 12 for high pressure service such as 90 pounds is connected to the system through a meter 13. A pipe 11 leads from the meter 13 and connects by means of a pipe 15 to the condenser 16 of an ice-making apparatus. From said condenser the water passes through pipe 17, by gravity, to the tank or receptacle 1.

A couple of elevators of the plunger type are indicated diagrammatically at 18 and a couple of beer pumps are indicated diagrammatically at 1%). A header pipe connected with pipe 1 .1: is connected to supply the apparatus 18 and 19, and from said apparatus, through a header pipe and a pipe 90 the discharge leads by gravity into the tank or receptacle 1. From said tank or receptacle a discharge pipe 21 may lead to the sewer for use if it is desired to empty the tank. A vent pipe 22 leads from the pipe 31. and a connecting pipe 23 from pipe 21 to the pipe 22 provides for overflow from the tank 1 to the sewer through the pipe 21. Of course the service pressure for the elevators 18 is high, and incidentally the pipe 25 with the cold water pipe 3 which receives pressure from low pressure SEXY-1G6; A discharge from the pumps 24 1s,

pipe 9. provided for. by a pipe 26 leading to the pipe. 17.

We will now describethe mechanism'illus-i trated diagrammatically for returning the V Waterfrom tank 1 intothe system, and f3; closed tank 27 is connectedby a pipe 28 with the bottom of the tank 1. The pump cylin 'der of'the steampump29 is connected automatically controlling such return.

pipe 30 withthe tank 27. A steam pipe 3 supplies steam from the system 'steam pipe; '2,'to the steam cylinder-of the pumping ap-; The exhaust pipe from the steam cylinder is'indicated at32. A float 33in the tank'27 has its stem or rod connected to a rock shaft 34, said rock shaft having an arm: connected to a steam valve 35 by means of a link 36 sothat the rise and fall ofthe float '33 in tank'27 will open or close the steam controlling valve '35. The pump cylinder of the steampump delivers throughpipe 37 which may'inc'lude a'filter38 and a by pass 39. The valve-controlled pipe 40 connects paratus.

the. pipes 37 and 1 7, the valve-y in thispip'e being a relief valve to prevent excessive pressure in the system under the action (if the pump. 'I'f'the relief valve opens due to excessive pressure, the pump simply circulates the water, discharging the excess: into tank 1. Apipe 41 is connected to the pipe 37 and is branched and'connects at two points with the cold Water pipe3'yso that the water from saidpump and which has been drawn fro m'tank 1 maybe sent into:

the'system pipe 3.

A'heater ofthe type known as instantane ous heater is indicated at 42, the steam pipes V for supplying said 'heater being indicated at 43, anescape steampipe 44, leading to a: suitable trap. Avpipe 45 leads from cold water: systempipe 3 to the heater 42, and a pipe 46 'leads 'from the heater 42 to'the'hot water systempipe 4. Thisheater is simply; 'one of atype which employs steam to heat water for the hot water system of the building. Said heatermay'have a-temperature regulator indicated diagrammatically at-47f to regulate the temperature of the water from the heater'by thermostatically control-f ling the passage ofsteam through pipe 43 under the influenceofgthe hot water flowing out through the pipe 46. A pipe 48; from the high pressure pipe 14 connects, with thecold water system pipe 3, saidpipe having a pressure-reducing valve '49 which maybe of the type known as the Mason f Vance of such connections, hydraulic apreducing 'valver We also illustrate another form of hot water heater at 50, there being two heaters of the vertical type connected by means of a branch pipe 51 with the cold water system pipe 3, the two heaters 50 being connected together and one of them being connected by pipe 52 with the steam pipe 2. The discharge steam may escape from pipe 53 to a suitable trap, not shown. branched at one end and connected with both of theheatershO is connectedwith the 'hot'water system pipe 4, anda pipe 55 conunderstood also that We donot limit ourselves to'the number of particular kinds of hydraulicapparatus so delivering their passage Water, the water stored in tank 1 is drawn therefrom by means of the steam pump and returned to the piping system from'which itcan'be utilized for any of the other purposes, especially for supplying the bath rooms.

The check valve 11 prevents the water" from being forced by the pump back into th'e'main9, and a check valve 56 in pipe 48 prevents water from being discharged back A pipe 54 into the main 12. Saidoheck valvesmaybe of the typeknown as'the' Jenkins check valve. @ployed at various points indicated at w.

Other such check valves are em- V'arious hand controlled valves which may be of thetypeiknown as the Jenkins gate, valve, are'employed'in the system, as indicated at y.

We claim 1. The combination with a house system of piping, of a water-service'pipe having a.

meter, and connected with said system at a jpoint beyond said meter, a hydraulic apparatus supplied from said system, a receptacle for the outflow. from said apparatus, and a pump for forcing the water from said receptacle back into the system pipes,

means being provided for preventing the Water from beln gpumped back to the service pipe.

2. The combination with a house system ofjp1p1ng,'of a'water-servlce plpe having a meter, and connected with said system at a point beyond said -meter, a hydraulic apparatus supplied from said system, a receptaclefor the outflow from said apparatus, and a pump for forcingthe water from said receptacle back into the system.

'3. The combination with 'a system of piping, of water-service pipes for diiferent pressures connected with said system, each of saidservicef pipes having a meter in adparatus supplied from said system, a recep- In testimony whereof We have affixed our tacle for the outflow from said apparatus, signatures, in presence of two witnesses. and a pump for forcing the Water from said JAMES G. MACDONALD. receptacle back into the system pipes, means WM. F. O. MACKAY.

5 being provided for preventing the water Witnesses:

from being pumped back to the service A. W. HAnRIsoN, pipes. P. W. PEZZETTI.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. O." 

